Analyzing SLNA's opponent in the 'North Central Vietnam' derby.

Coach Petrovic is facing a headache as, after 9 rounds, he still doesn't have a satisfactory lineup. With 8 players injured, including center-back Minh Tùng and striker Đình Tùng, Thanh Hóa has had to rely on two foreign players for defensive duties. The placement of Trọng Hùng, a player with a smaller stature, as the furthest forward has prevented Thanh Hóa from developing aerial attacks. Wingers Quốc Phương and Văn Thắng have had to resort to many short, ground passes to approach the goal, which is very physically demanding.

Simple style of play

After the break for the national team, coach Petrovic's team earned 7 points from 5 matches, a decent result but not yet meeting the expectations of Dong A Group. New signings like Henrique, Kamhuka, Dam Tien Dung, and Buu Ngoc have yet to fully integrate into the team. Therefore, besides adding Gustavo Santos and A Mit (SHB Da Nang), Dong A Thanh Hoa is looking for a quality foreign striker to replace Paulo Henrique. Coach Petrovic urgently needs a quality foreign player to support the midfield and improve the goal-scoring aspect, easing the burden on Van Thang and Quoc Phuong.

"Little Squirrel" Quoc Phuong is a dangerous player for Thanh Hoa. Photo: THFC

The Serbian coach's desire for a solid defensive style and sharp counter-attacks was not realized due to a lack of a midfield orchestrator. Forwards like Paulo Pinto, Le Pham Thanh Long, Le Van Thang, and Paulo Henrique were given significant responsibility in attack, especially in scoring goals, which were constantly hampered by a lack of possession.

Except for the 4-0 victory against Saigon, Dong A Thanh Hoa's playing style is quite simple and easily predictable. The ball is usually passed to the flanks for Van Thang and Quoc Phuong to utilize their individual technical skills to approach the opponent's goal.

A battle of wits between the two coaches.

In this match, apart from Olaha who received a red card and is unavailable, coach Huy Hoang will not make many changes to the home team's lineup. The visiting team's duo, Doan Ngoc Tan and Le Pham Thanh Long, will have the opportunity to face the three-man midfield of Xuan Manh, Van Duc, and Xuan Tien of the home team, Song Lam Nghe An.

In theory, the home team, Song Lam Nghe An, is considered the favorite, but beware of their Serbian coach. Photo: THFC

Paulo Pinto will certainly play as an attacking midfielder, but whether the Serbian coach will use the central defensive duo of Victor Kamhuka and Gustavo Santos is a question only Petrovic can answer. Is it really necessary to use two foreign players to mark Oseni? Gustavo Santos could even be pushed up to play as a central midfielder; when he played for Song Lam Nghe An, the Brazilian player scored two goals with his head.

29-year-old Brazilian foreign player Cristian Alex, who last year played for Visakha in the Cambodian Premier League, is ready to take the field. His height of 1.88m and his beginnings in the youth team of Audax – a Serie A2 club – and later the youth team of Cruizero in Brazil's Serie B league, are his passport to playing in the V.League.

This was a match where the tactical calculations of both coaches greatly influenced the game on the field. The absence of Olaha meant the home team in Vinh lacked a player who could wear down and disrupt the opponent's play with his powerful dribbling. Dong A Thanh Hoa also no longer had to worry about the powerful headers and long-range shots of this foreign player.

The weakness on the left flank of the Nghe An team, currently defended by Ba Sang, will be thoroughly exploited by Quoc Phuong, the speedy player from Thanh Hoa. It's highly likely that Dam Tien Dung will be instructed by coach Petrovic to play higher up the field than usual, switching to a 3-5-2 formation, aiming to control the midfield against the home team. Theoretically, Song Lam Nghe An is considered the stronger team, but they should be wary of the Serbian coach.

An Thanh